The
US Brewers' Association say there are now over 2,000 breweries
operating within the 50 states. The seeds of a revolution sown when
Jimmy Carter repealed the overlooked bit of Prohibition that
prevented home brewing, has reaped a vibrant harvest which in its
turn has cross-pollinated across brewing nations everywhere. Now,
before I overextend the dodgy metaphor, the reason for this post.
Head
80 miles north of London, and you'll reach Peterborough, heartland of
Oakham (will you ever finish The Mansion House, Oakham?) and now home
to a new brewery. Stewarded by a former teacher from Texas. Bexar
County Brewery (the 'x' is silent) is named for Steve Saldana's home
county. Steve, who taught in San Antonio, is one of the new
generation of homebrewers who continue to fuel the growth in US craft
brewery start-ups. The difference is that he has decided to do it
here.
“There
is a great history of beer being made in this country. There is
great passion about beer here, as it should be seeing as though it is
ingrained in the British culture. This is an exciting time for beer
in the UK. For me, there is no better place to brew beer,” he says.
Steve homebrewed for some five years, and spent two years helping at
San Antonio brewery and distillery Ranger Creek. “I
was fortunate enough to get commercial experience helping out at
Ranger Creek. I would consider it my internship.”. Once he
decided to go commercial, Steve found premises in the Fengate area of
Peterborough, and did a deal with the former Digfield Brewery for
their 7 BBL plant. The brewery kit was installed and commissioned in
October, and now Steve is developing recipes and brewing his first
batches for release.
His
philosophy is simple. “There is no box”. Straightforward and
oft-heard among the new wave of craft brewers, but from an American
brewing here, there's a twist. “Back in the States, the
trend to brew aggressive beers is old news, while here, beer drinkers
are finally learning to accept something more than “traditional”
beers. I will not be looking towards
style guidelines to tell me what to brew, instead I am going to brew
what I feel will work. If the finished beer falls into a category,
that is one thing, but I don't aim to brew any style in particular.”
Steve's
first four beers make the point. 'Come and Get It' , a 7.3% Imperial
Red with a strong malt backbone holding up a whack of hop bitterness;
'Texas Pecan Coffee Mild' (3.9%), a non-traditional mild with a
cold-pressed coffee addition in the secondary; 'B4' (4.1%) surely an
old Goon Show joke, but in this case a blond beer with a restricted
hop addition. Steve has designed this as a session beer for the local
clientele, and it's now on the bar at The Ostrich Inn in
Peterborough. Finally, 'Lone Ryder' (5.1%), is a hoppy rye beer where
the hops play second fiddle to malt and rye spiciness.
Initially
all Steve's beers will be casked, but as things move along he hopes
to explore bottling. London drinkers will have their first chance to
sample Bexar County beer at the Pig's Ear Festival next week, where
the Texas Pecan Coffee Mild will be featured.
Here's
wishing Bexar County all the best.
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